ABSTRACT
The participation of Native researchers and archaeologists in projects that interpret their culture is long overdue in New England. The role that Native researchers should be assuming is directly related to the need that still exists for more collaboration between Indians and non-Indian people in the Northeast. While tribes in other regions of the country developed archaeology programs decades ago, New England tribes have only relatively recently begun to assume the responsibility of interpreting and presenting their past. The chapter assumes various roles for the tribe including the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) coordinator, and a member of the Nipmuc Nation's Federal Acknowledgment research team. It creates a more complete picture of everyday Native life in New England over the past 400 years by combining data from excavations with documentary research.
